The King County Council's second attempt at finding money for criminal justice services failed Tuesday as a proposal to ask voters to increase their property taxes didn't garner enough votes.

Like the sales-tax vote one day earlier, the council voted 5-4, along partisan lines, in favor of putting the measure before voters in August. Because it was considered an emergency measure, it required six votes to pass.

The proposal would have asked voters for a new levy to fund criminal justice. The new tax would have been partially offset by reductions in property taxes that pay for parks expansion, flood control, roads, the conservation futures, and the county's automated fingerprinting identification system. Also, the proposal would have eliminated the King Conservation District assessment for 2011 and 2012.

The net increase would have been about $38 more per year for the owner of a $400,000 home.

It also would have provided $15 million per year to pay for construction of a new juvenile detention center. The existing facility is in disrepair.

The measure would have a sunset after 9 years.

"I think the August ballot was the right time for this. I hope we can work with the county Executive's staff to avoid what will be some pretty devastating cuts," said council Chair Bob Ferguson, who led efforts to pass the alternative ballot measure. "This is a roll of the dice. I hope it works out well for us."

The proposal was drawn as a last-ditch alternative to a sales tax ballot measure, which also failed Monday to garner enough votes to reach voters in August. That measure would have raised the sales tax by 0.2 percent and raised about $47 million for police, courts, probation services, the jail and victim support. The average resident would pay an estimated $40 more per year under the proposal.

The sales tax measure also would have raised about $32 million for public safety in cities in King County, unlike the property tax measure, which would send revenue entirely to the county.

After cutting $150 million over the past two years, the county is expecting deficits of $60 million and $80 million over the next two years. Since criminal justice agencies -- such as the Sheriff's Office, the county's courts, jail and probation services --- eat up about 70 percent of the $630 million general fund, they faced the brunt of the cuts.

Facing 12 percent across-the-board cuts, the sheriff, county prosecutor and county judges lobbied County Executive Dow Constantine to propose a sales tax ballot measure to maintain existing services. On Tuesday, Constantine said he would begin looking for cuts to be made the middle of this year to soften the blow of deep cuts.

"I am disappointed that a minority on the Council prevented voters from having the choice to protect public safety. Their inaction will have direct consequences for our residents," he said in a statement.

Police service in unincorporated urban areas is expected to be hit especially hard. As will specialized court services often touted as tools in reducing crime rates.

The council has until July 26 to consider a measure for the general election ballot in November. Still on the table is a "tax-neutral" proposal from council Republicans that would dedicate new money to criminal justice but cover the bill with reductions in other taxes. It also would divert about $10 million from transit and the Ferry District tax to public safety.

Councilman Reagan Dunn, who voted against Tuesday's proposal, said the re-prioritizing of property taxes was a step in the right direction. He said he felt King County had a spending problem and that he would prefer more time to discuss alternatives before presenting a plan to voters.

"This is a fiscal crisis that we need to deal with without a quick fix. This idea that we must absolutely go in August is illusory, I believe," Dunn said.

Sheriff Sue Rahr said Tuesday that waiting until November would be too late. She is required to send notice in September to some 40 deputies who would be laid off with next year's budget cuts, she said. County budget director Dwight Dively confirmed that lay-off notices must be sent three months in advance to employees on the chopping block.

"I anticipate many of those deputies will go out looking for another job," she said. If funding were restored, it would mean added costs of hiring and training new officers to replace ones that went out the door, she said.

Dunn introduced a motion calling on Constantine to develop a plan for postponing layoff notices to criminal justice employees until voters have had a chance to consider a November ballot measure.

Some officials from cities in rural East King County testified against the proposed property tax increase.

Carnation Mayor Lee Grumman didn't like how the proposal pitted public safety against parks and flood control. Carnation gets $3,000 per year from the parks levy and with the town nestled between two rivers, she couldn't support taking money from flood control.

Snoqulamie Mayor Matt Larson said the proposal targets "politically weak rural areas and small cities" and struck him as "rushed and desperate." He said he would be willing to support a sales tax increase if sheriff's deputies were willing to sacrifice 5-percent annual raises guaranteed by their most recent labor contract.